Max Verstappen has stressed the importance of making mistakes as he claimed he would want his younger self to do things "exactly like I have done" up to now. Red Bull driver Verstappen claimed his maiden F1 world title in 2021 after a hard-fought battle against Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, capping a meteoric rise to the top of the sport. Still only 24, Verstappen has 14 pole positions, 23 wins and 63 podium finishes to his name, with a recently-signed Red Bull deal that takes him through the 2028 campaign.
Why Verstappen wouldn't change his journey to the top
Reflecting on his title success in The Edge podcast with Red Bull team sponsor TAG Heuer, Verstappen touched on whether or not he would give his younger self advice. "If I would have to give my younger self any advice, I wouldn't," he commented. "I would just do it exactly like I have done at the moment, because you need to make mistakes to become a better person. "If you keep preventing, let's say, a 'young Max' from [making] mistakes, he's not learning, because you do need to make mistakes to actually learn."
Verstappen on the importance of making mistakes
Verstappen made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso back in 2015, at the age of 17, after just one year in single-seater racing. While he displayed impressive pace from the outset, several rivals raised questions over his approach to racing, with a so-called 'Verstappen rule' being introduced at one stage to prevent moving under braking. Another tricky spell came in early 2018, when he was involved in several incidents, but he recovered to get his season back on track and has not gone more than three races without a visit to the podium since then. "People can tell you 100 times, 'Do not do this, do not do that', but you will make [mistakes] and it's good to make them," he continued. "It hurts, it really hits you, and I think these particular moments are good for your career, because sometimes that will drive you to be your better self."
Most read
